


The Love of a Hamingja

by PoisonCupcakez13



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Intimacy, Minor Character Death, Mythology References, Romance, Slow Romance, Vikings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:54:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28934358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonCupcakez13/pseuds/PoisonCupcakez13
Summary: What if a Norse guardian, sworn to protect and uphold her duties, fell in love when she was not meant to.   The Hamingja was like any other guardian angel for all the descendants she protected over the centuries, till the day her journey brought her to a place she would never forget. To a man, she would come to love and a tragic death she could not bear.  This Hamingja defied the Norns and weaved her own fate, a fate that could change everything. Odin was more than happy to oblige his little spirit and perhaps bring happiness and luck to those who's fates did not.
Relationships: Heahmund/Ivar (Vikings)/Original Female Character(s), Ivar (Vikings)/Original Female Character(s), Ívar beinlausi Ragnarsson | Ivar the Boneless/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Weave a New Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hamingja  
> The fourth and final part of the Norse self is the hamingja (pronounced “HAHM-ing-ya”).  
> The word is often used in an abstract sense to signify “luck,”  
> but the Norse understanding of luck is very different from our own.  
> In Bettina Sommer’s fitting words, “luck was a quality inherent in the man and his lineage,  
> a part of his personality similar to his strength, intelligence, or skill with weapons,  
> at once both the cause and the expression of the success, wealth, and power of a family.”
> 
> Luck, the hamingja, is a personal entity in its own right, is part of the self,  
> and can be split off from the other components of the self in certain circumstances.  
> When a person dies, his or her hamingja is often reincarnated in one of his or her descendants,  
> particularly if the child is given the name of the original owner of the hamingja. Sometimes,  
> as in Viga-Glum’s Saga, the hamingja bequeaths itself of its own accord to a relative of its original owner,  
> without any special naming having to take place.  
> The hamingja can also be lent to others during life to assist them in particularly perilous missions where luck is needed especially badly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys.  
> I don't usually write for people, mainly just myself and I have stories all over the place on my laptop and suddenly one day, I decided why not.  
> So bear with me, I don't really have a plan set in place for updates but right now I also don't know how well this story will be received or if it will make any sense. lol  
> so I will be going at this with baby steps lol anyways enjoy.

Sounds of swords clashing against one another, cries of war drifting in and out as hot searing pain shot through her as darkness slowly reached out to wrap its dark claws around her, consuming her very being.

 _What is this_ ; she thinks to herself. Opening her eyes to nothing but a blackened void all around her, _where am I?_

A distant voice deep within the void slowly reaches out, **"You two have to understand that it is harder for me to share and to stake my claim....,"** a burning fire starts coursing its way through her veins as the voice continues to reach out for her.

Starting from the ends of her fingers and toes the burning continues to move slowly making its way towards her heart. 

**"When our father took me to England and was imprisoned by King Ecbert.......,"** as the words changed faint blurred images begun to appear in the far distance of the void. She tried to reach out for them, but the harder she tried to focus, the more the pain continued to spread, faster and stronger inside her, _it.... hurts!_ she screamed out to herself.

 **"Do not leave me"** , she tries screaming to the unknown figures, desperately trying to claw her way there not knowing or understanding why, but the impulse was strong.

**"Nothing is ever permanent. Everything is always changing. Shifting."**

**"NO!!! STOP please"** , she cried out in pain. **"I want no more of this, make it STOP!!!"** , shaking her head desperately to rid herself of these awful feelings she was drowning in.

As if finally heeding her command, the voice slowly started receding, the blurred images slipping back into the void when sudden flashes of beautiful blue eyes hit her with an implosive force, alive and shining play out before her, so clear that she tries reaching out for them and just for the briefest of moments she was whole again.

The pain had receded, the dark haze slowly easing from her mind as a beautiful glow begun to form and shine from deep within her, and just when she felt as though she had begun to remember who she was and what was happening to her.

A sharp pain tore through her as the images before her suddenly turned dark and lifeless. So much violence, pain, hatred, and loneliness hit her in waves, a feeling as though she was being violently swept up and thrown around like an empty shell.

 _What is this... what is happening to me?_ and then as fast at it had come it was all suddenly replaced by a sense of deep sadness and then she knew, those blue eyes were gone and that she would never see them again.

 _What is this?_ _It feels too real..._ , warm streams of water begun to flow from her eyes, her heart began to shrivel up from deep within her, killing the very life force of who she was.

_Who the hell am I?_

_Who are these people, those eyes; those beautiful blue eyes that keep hovering in my head._

Sudden visions of countless lives flash before her; an endless stream of shadows of people she has brought so much happiness to and safely guarded over the course of time.

Then why can't she remember ever feeling like this...??? _UGH...!!! My head hurts!_ grabbing her head as a sudden jolt of pain hit her senses hard. More scenes began to flood her mind, each playing an intricate part of who she is. **"stop.... please get out of my head...!!! I cannot take it, I just want to melt into the void, leave me be....,"** she thrashed and screamed out into the nothingness that surrounds her.

When suddenly from above, a small ray of light broke through, shattering the darkness, and within that light, a black raven flew. The majestic blackbird flew through the light and down towards the lost spirit, where a great wooden perch had appeared before her.

As soon as the raven landed, massive golden doors appeared before her. The doors were covered in a detailed carving of a large beautiful tree. _!!! When did the doors show up...? What kind of doors are these...?_ The carvings on the doors were somehow familiar as if her story was written within the tree but still, it was lost to her. The doors began to slowly open as if prompted, the raven flew circles around the little spirit signaling her it was time and then he flew towards the opening of the doors.

 _Is the raven leading me inside?_ she thought.

She followed the raven through the double doors and as she passed through, the darkness melted away, and all before her was an endless field of beautiful wildflowers and a sparkling crystal-clear lake laying before her.

 **"WOW! It is beautiful..., really everything is so beautiful,"** she says to herself as she walks through the vast meadow before her.

Touching flowers of all kinds and taking her surroundings in slowly she heads towards the lake. Peering into the water she was stunned, the reflection staring back at her was like anything she could ever imagine. Slowly raising her hand to her cheek, " **Who...?!"**

**"FUHAHA! You're so funny my little spirit."**

**"I was beginning to think I had truly lost you."** A masculine voice said from beside her, instantly tearing her gaze away from her reflection. She turned her head towards the person speaking to her, coming face to face with an older man and he was smiling at her. **"Hello again,"** he chuckled at the surprised girl.

Stunned for words, _who is he...? is he the ruler of this place?_ she thought to herself.

 **"Would you like to come with me?"** he asked. **"I know you have many questions, my sweet Hamingja."** Feelings of familiarity and confusion swept over her as he held her hand and at a loss for words the only thing that escaped her lips was one word, **"pardon?"**

The beast of a man just continued to smile at her and started to pull her with him as he began to walk away from the lake. As soon as she realized what was happening, panic struck across her features and the older man's smile dropped, stopping him in his tracks.

 **"You have forgotten,"** he started saying out loud, his brows knitted together in thought as he turned to face her and all she could do was nod her head in confusion.

With a heavy sigh, **"I did not think you would come to love him so deeply,"** he starts telling her. Bringing his hand up to cup her soft cheek, **"you, my dear are Hamingja, the spirit of luck and happiness and a guardian spirit to the people."** Stroking her cheek softly, **"and I, my dear am Odin-**

 **"the wise wanderer....,"** she whispered out under her breath, cutting him off.

A wide smile crossed Odin's face as he looked at the little girl, **" that's right,"** he said, chuckling to her as he pulled his hand away from her face.

An impulse took over her as she reached out her hand to touch his missing eye when Odin suddenly grabbed her wrist before she could touch his face. **"Ah, you better not touch that my dear, or else you'll be struck by lightning."**

 **"Do you want to become like a roasted chicken?"** he chuckled out.

Panic quickly set in at what she had almost done, without thinking she jerked her wrist from Odin's grasp, **"NO... NOT AT ALL!!"** she hurriedly shouts, desperately searching the heavens for any signs of danger.

Odin bursts out laughing, **"I'm kidding. You are a coward! How are you going to survive among the Vikings my dear girl,"** he says as he continues to laugh in amusement.

Stunned by Odin's reaction to her, **"Don't... Don't make fun of me!"** she nervously shouts at him, **"Am I just here for your entertainment?"**

 **"I don't even know who you are or where we are ...!!!"** tears begin to build in the corner of her eyes, **"I don't even know who I am anymore...,"** she says looking down dejectedly, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

**"I do not know who I really am, I feel like my entire existence was just a dream."**

Looking up into Odin's one eye with determination she asks, **"what am I?"** Tears continue to stream down her sullen face.

With a moment of pause, Odin looks at her with shock and deep admiration, he kneels before her. **"It does not matter what you were in the past,"** he says bringing his hands up to wipe her tears away. **"In the present, you are just you, past or future if you** **look too far you won't see it close my dear girl."**

Blue eyes sprang to her mind, **"someone close?"** she says softly as she brings her hands to her chest, feeling the rapid beating of her racing heart.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she holds on to that image for just a second, bringing her that feeling of wholeness again, and a slow smile starts to grace her face.

Odin takes notice of the little girl's change of demeanor and the slight tinge of pink that dusted her cheeks. Grabbing her hands from her chest, Odin softly cupped his large ones around hers. His features softened as he spoke to her, **"Hamingja, that precious person to you was not given a long life nor a truly happy fate...."** he slowly begins, **"and yet when you crossed his path, you forced an invisible string of fate woven to his."**

The little spirit's eyes widened in shock at what he was telling her.

Odin gave a soft chuckle, **"my little spirit, for I have never seen such a thing as this, nor has the Norns; a Hamingja falling in love,"** shaking his head in astonishment. **"With my own descendent no less,"** he says softly squeezing her still clasped hands.

 **"This is truly remarkable my little spirit, it is a chance for me to right some wrongs,"** he pauses for a moment, **"and a chance for me to give you a very precious gift."**

Looking at Odin and taking in his words, **"I'm still not sure I understand it all, but I do feel a great sorrow slowly growing inside me and..... and I think it's killing me."** she says with a shaky breath. Nodding, **"yes my little spirit you are,"** he says to her with sadness laced through his voice. **"A Hamingja is not meant to be without oneself, so to speak."**

The little spirit looked down in sorrow, **"will it hurt?"** she softly mumbled. 

**"Oh my dear girl, you misunderstand,"** he says as she looks up to him in utter confusion. With deep honesty set in his eye, **"I would not let you die Hamingja, you are too precious a gift,"** squeezing her hands again in reassurance. **"You, my sweet little spirit will be reborn into something new, this is my gift to you."** He smiled at her before let her hands go to stand up, noticing her complexion becoming worse since she stepped through the doors. **"Little spirit, I believe it is time for you to go now,"** he says stroking her cheek as a few flakes of her skin break off, bringing a sorrowful smile to his face.

With a strong gust of wind, Huginn and Muninn swept in from the sky, swooping down to the little spirit, flying in circles faster and faster around her as they cawed out to each other. **"Wait...will we ever meet again?"** she asked in a panic.

Slowly walking backwards from the little spirit, Odin smiled, **"we'll be able to meet again when the time comes, until then take care of them for me little spirit, they will be watching over you,"** he says cryptically, and with Odin's final words, Huginn and Muninn swept her into unconscious darkness.

\-------------------------------------------------

Somewhere in the vast open forests, a predator stalks its prey, hidden within the trees, it slowly creeps forward to its mark. Alert, the prey sensing danger slowly scans her surroundings. With a snap of a twig in the distance, the doe takes off deeper into the woods, bounding through the trees as the hungry wolf gives chase. With a tremendous leap through the air, the massive wolf pounced upon his prey, snapping the doe's neck instantly. As the wolf began to tear through the doe's stomach the sky darkened, flashes of lightning in the distance lit up the sky as sounds of cawing approached with the heavy winds, stopping the massive wolf in his feasting.

He sniffed the air just as two large black ravens landed in the trees above. The ravens cawed at the massive wolf till the sounds of a baby's cry joined in. The wolf's attention was brought to the new sound coming from under him, and within the torn stomach of the doe lay a small crying baby girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's the first chapter, hope you enjoyed.  
> -went back and reworked a few things in this chapter, hopefully, I improved it a bit instead of fudging it up lol (19/02/21)


	2. The Wanderer and the Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wolf is a common motif in the foundational mythologies and cosmologies of peoples throughout Eurasia and North America (corresponding to the historical extent of the habitat of the gray wolf). The obvious attribute of the wolf is its nature of a predator, and correspondingly it is strongly associated with danger and destruction, making it the symbol of the warrior on one hand, and that of the devil on the other. The modern trope of the Big Bad Wolf is a development of this. The wolf holds great importance in the cultures and religions of the nomadic peoples, both of the Eurasian steppe and North American Plains.
> 
> Wolves were sometimes associated with witchcraft in both northern European and some Native American cultures: in Norse folklore, the völva (witch) Hyndla and the giantess Hyrrokin are both portrayed as using wolves as mounts, while in Navajo culture, wolves were feared as witches in wolf's clothing. Similarly, the Tsilhqot'in believed that contact with wolves could cause mental illness and death.
> 
> In Norse mythology, we find numerous wolves. There are the wolves Geri and Freki, accompanying god Odin. Skalli/Sköll and Hati are responsible for chasing the sun and moon across the heavens, and finally devouring them at Ragnarök when the world comes to an end (in another source, it is the wolf Fenrir).  
> This "chasing of the sun/moon" is essential for Norse cosmology. It is an etiological myth that tries to explain the movement of sun and moon; the wolves Skalli and Hati, like their counterparts in other myths, are responsible for the movement of sun and moon; without them, day and night would not exist, and consequently, they are creating the cycles of the seasons. It shows the role of wolves in cosmology.  
> A similar role can be found in Chinese mythology where Tiangou, 天狗 (meaning 'heavenly dog'), equally chases the sun and is thought to devour it during an eclipse (hence, according to one myth, Tiangou is chased away by an arrow by his arch-enemy, Zhang Xian; interestingly some Greek writers wrote that the Greek word for the "year", λυκάβας, was derived from λύκος “wolf” and βαίνω “to walk”, like the role of Skalli and Tiangou in chasing the sun, walking over the sky/heavens...

{Three Years Later}

Hamingja was laughing and playing in the snow-covered forest with the small wolf cubs like any other day. One bouncing around her while the other stood on his back legs, holding his front paws upon her shoulder. Wagging his tail excitedly the wolf cub reaches the little girl's face, greedily licking her cheeks. Hamingja giggled at the playful cub, petting his fur to appease him.

**"You are so greedy,"** she said as she tried to move away from his frantic licking unsuccessfully. Suddenly the other jealous cub comes running towards her, leaping upon her other side with enough force to knock her down.

**"Hey,"** she laughed out as both cubs now licked at her cheeks, wagging their tails playfully. When far in the distance a tune begins to slowly drift in with the incoming breeze, surrounding her and the wolf cubs.

The cubs softly whimper, pausing her in their antics as she tries to listen closely to the winds, the cubs not having it try to pull her back to their play, tugging at her furs and nipping at her fingers softly. Broken from her trance her gaze shifts back, bringing her thoughts quickly to a halt and looking down at the playful cubs.

**"You are not playing fair, you know,"** she softly giggles out at them while rubbing their soft furry heads.

The tune starts to drift in again, but louder this time. Pulling her back into its hypnotic trance, curiously searching her surroundings through the snow-covered forest before her, Hamingja slowly starts to stand up, one cub lazily rolls off her lap and into the snow with a soft yelp.  
Noticing her change in demeanor as the little girl starts slowly walking away, the cubs begin to whimper in protest at her, fearing they were going to lose her. Hamingja stopped in her tracks looking back at the cubs and smiled brightly at them. **"I will come back my friends,"** she tries to ease their worries, but to no avail. With a small huff, Hamingja walked back to the cubs and sat before them, **"How about this,"** she says as she pulls a few loose strands of hair from her head.

**"If I do not come back by nightfall then you both will come and find me, yes?"** she smiled down at one of the cubs resting in her lap as she began to braid the fiery strands to the cub's white fur. **"There,"** she said once finished, **"that way we will always be together,"** she giggled, nuzzling her face into the cubs. With that Hamingja stood up and walked off in search of the mysterious tune calling out to her.

**"Ösku ég veit að hún stendur- Það heitir Yggdrasill. Háu tré, stráð, Með hvítri drullu; Þaðan koma dögg- Það haust á dalnum! Það stendur alltaf grænt, yfir- Uppruni Urdhr...."**  
["An ash I know it stands- It is named Yggdrasill. High tree, sprinkled, with white mud; There from come the dews- That fall on the dale! It stands always green, above- The source of Urdhr."]

Harbard sings out loud in mirth as he continues trekking through the snow-covered forest, when a small giggle broke through the air, silencing him.  
Stopping in his tracks, Harbard scanned his surrounding area before him, hearing another soft giggle, but closer this time.

Turning his head slowly again, Harbard narrowed his eyes to assess the area once more, he started to notice small whips of red strands blowing out from behind a large tree not too far from him.  
A smile tugs at his lips as curiosity sets in and another little giggle breaks into the air.

Hamingja stands there behind a tree, slowly peeking out to watch the puzzling stranger. The song he had sung called out to her, bringing feelings of warmth and inner peace with flashes of funny images of chickens being struck by lighting.  
Why she did not know but she could not help the giggles that slipped from her lips as she tried to stifle them because of it.

Harbard slowly walks towards the tree with the fiery strands and little giggles continuing to echo out behind it. **"Oh, a little trickster; could it be?"** , he playfully coaxed out.

Sensing the stranger getting closer to her position, Hamingja could not help but hug the tree a little tighter in excitement, as if she were playing a game with an old friend, but this time it felt as if something more would soon becoming.

The closer Harbard got the more he noticed a small hand peeking out, tightly wrapped around the trunk. Coming to a stop just a few feet away, Harbard knelt into the snow, **"little spirit, would you like to hear a story, hmm?"** , he inquired with a slight tilt of his head.

Hamingja tilted her head a little to think on the stranger’s words, _a story?_ she thinks to herself. Curious, she peeks out a little from behind the tree, a pair of inquisitive, dark eyes lookout for just a moment before pulling back and giggling once more.

Harbard softly chuckled at the little child's playful antics. **"hmm"** , he says, bringing his hand up to his face and placing a finger to his chin, playfully thinking.

**"Ah yes, I have just the story for you little spirit”** , he said with a twinkle in his eyes and a mischievous smirk across his lips.  
 **"There once lived a maiden...,"** he began.  
 **"Brave and fair, who sadly felt quite alone."** he continued on.

**"Though there were Vikings everywhere, she had none to call her own."**  
The little girl, still hidden, listened intriguingly to the wanderer's tale as if it were a story just for her, speaking of a past she could not place.

**"Until one fateful night, she spotted such a man."** Hamingja's eyes started to slowly glaze over, her smile dropped from her face. A name danced in her mind, but it was still too far to grasp it, the stranger continued.

**"For through the fires' glowing light." "She hoped that they were Fated."**  
 **"With eyes as blue as the sea...."** , Harbard's voice slowly started to give way to images of blue eyes in the little girl's head, her breathing picked up as her heart started pounding in her chest with memories of a time lost and forgotten to her.

Hamingja unconsciously reached up into her hair and rubbed the little blue flowers she wore each day, her favorite flower that reminded her of blue eyes. Breaking her thoughts, ravens far in the distance cawed out in unison to her, _a sign from the gods_ she thought.

Finally deciding to step out from her spot, Hamingja took in the wanderer's appearance more closely. A giant of a man, even kneeling in the snow, she could tell. Draped in a large cloak with long dark hair and a single braid peeking out from the hood, a heavy growing greying beard with a large smile on his face and kindness dancing in his eyes. Hamingja could not help but smile in thought at this man. Strange though, she had this sudden urge to touch one of his eyes as if some secret would be unlocked but then thoughts of roasted chickens by the gods for some reason seem to keep the urge at bay.

Harbard halted his story when the little girl came out fully and what he saw before him was remarkable.  
A ridiculously small little girl to his astonishment, with bright red, shoulder-length hair; Blåveis placed all throughout it. Beautiful alabaster skin matching the fallen snow. She had round chubby cheeks, full rosebud-shaped lips, and a small button nose, but it was her eyes that outshined it all.

She had black star sapphire gemstone eyes, and when Harbard saw this, the very breath left him stunned, and a large grin slowly took over his face, **"looks to me that I have found a lost little spirit,"** he chuckles to himself, regaining his composure.

The little girl giggled at the wanderer who had come upon her; she could see that he was exceptionally special.  
For her eyes could see things that others could not.

The colors she saw surrounding him were beautiful, unlike anything she had come across yet. Lights of bursting white with beautiful indigo flames fading out from the edges danced around him.  
A feeling of familiarity spread through her the longer she gazed at him, as though there was some connection between them.

Unbeknownst to her, as if in a trance, Hamingja approached Harbard and slowly grabbed his hand. Turning it over, she began to draw a rune into his palm with her little finger.  
Harbard laughed out loud in mirth at the child when she was finished. **"Now would that not be something"** , he said to her with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gives her little hand a small squeeze.

Hamingja looked up at Harbard with sparkling gemstone eyes and smiled. **"Well little spirit, I believe we have a journey ahead of us, do we not?"** , Harbard says as if he could see her very thoughts.  
He drops her hand softly and rises from his kneeled position.

She nods at him as if knowing the gods are silently guiding her to where she needs to truly be. Raising her arms up, Harbard lifts the little girl into his arms and tucks her to his side, pulling his cloak back over them both.

Hamingja wraps her arms around the man as best as she could and snuggled closer to his side, sighing deeply in comfort as a sudden wave of drowsiness washed over her.  
Harbard looks down to the child at his side, softly smiling again, **"for your happiness little spirit"** , he whispers out quietly, when a sudden movement catches his attention from the corner of his eye. Turning, he sees two wolf cubs standing not far off in the distance, one as black as night the other as white as snow, both watching him intensely close. **"Oh, I see,"** Harbard laughs at the cubs, shaking his head in amusement. **"She won you over as well,"** he asks them playfully. His reply was met with low growls, **"well you better grow strong and fast then, yes?"** he spoke to them in mirth, nodding in their direction. Earning whimpers and yelps from the two cubs.

Harbard chuckled to himself again, _this little spirit is truly something else_ , he thought. To win over such beasts so easily, even if they are pups again, astounded him. Before he could walk away the cubs loudly barked at Harbard, grabbing his attention once more. With a scowl on his face, he turns, **"come now,"** looking to the cubs. **" I believe the little spirit left you with a token, no?"** In understanding they laid submissively, whimpering in the snow, Harbard laughs at the two before him. **"Really now, this is surely not the last you will see of her,"** he winks at them. Harbard cradles the sleeping girl closer to him with a deep smile on his face, picking up where he last left off from his cheerful tune, continuing on his journey through the snowy mountain forest. Him and the little spirit. **"Þaðan koma vinnukonurnar, Mikið að vita; Þrír, bústaður þeirra, Stendur undir trénu; Urdh er nefndur einn, Hinn Verdhandi, - Þeir skarvið - Skuld er þriðji...",**

["There from come the maids, much knowing; Three, their dwelling, Stands under the tree; Urdh is named one, The other Verdhandi, - They notched wood - Skuld is the third...]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter down, hopefully, I tweaked this ok. If not, oh well shit happens. Enjoy sugar boogers :)


	3. The Arrival of Dreams and Wanderers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dreams could sometimes foretell the future. Their ability to do so went hand in hand with the Norse view that all events were directed by fate.  
> \---  
> In Norse mythology, the Norns (pronounced like “norms” with an “n” instead of the “m”; Old Norse Nornir) are female beings who create and control fate. This makes them the most terribly powerful entities in the cosmos – more so than even the gods since the gods are subject to fate just like any and all other beings.
> 
> According to one description of the Norns in the Old Norse poem Fáfnismál, there are a great many of them, and no one knows the exact number. Some of them come from the gods, others from the elves and still others from the dwarves. The poem Völuspá, however, has another, a grander account of them that has (perhaps deservedly) become the standard image that people today associate with the Norns.  
> \---  
> In Völuspá, the Norns are mysterious beings who don’t seem to come from any of the recognized kinds of beings who populate the Norse otherworld. They seem to be a category unto themselves. There are exactly three of them, and their names suggest their ability to construct the content of time: one is Urd (Old Norse Urðr, “The Past,” and a common word for fate in and of itself), the second Verdandi (Old Norse Verðandi, “What Is Presently Coming into Being”) and the third Skuld (Old Norse Skuld, “What Shall Be”). They live in a hall by a well (Urðarbrunnr, “Well of Fate”) beneath Yggdrasil, the mighty tree at the center of the Norse otherworld, which holds the Nine Worlds in its branches and roots.

The sounds of children laughing and playing as Aslaug, Helga, and Siggy walked the streets of Kattegat, early one snowy morning.  
 **"May I tell you something?"** Helga says to both women, a look of deep concentration etched across her features. **"I have had a dream."**  
 **"I dreamed of a stranger who was a man, but he had no face; or none that I could well see."** , she said, trying to recall the images of the dream piece by piece.  
Siggy shivered to herself as Helga continued, **"There was snow on the ground and he was walking towards me through the snow"** , slowing her pace a bit, she turns to Siggy, **"so his footsteps made no sounds."**

Listening Aslaug couldn't help but think of her own repetitive dream she had been having as of late, as well.  
 **"He carried a ball of flaming snow and in his other hand..."** , Aslaug stops in her tracks and turns to Helga, **"-His other hand was covered in bright blood"** , she cuts in.  
Stunned, Helga nodded in agreement, **"-and the blood left a trail in the snow behind him"** , Siggy suddenly adds. All three women, bewildered at this realization, **"Yes",** Helga says quickly **, "and the drops were smoking in the frozen ground?"** , Siggy finishes.  
 **"You too?"** , Helga asks.  
 **"Yes"** , Siggy replies to her.  
 **"Both of you?"** , Helga asks as she turns to Aslaug, trying to think of why they are sharing the same dream, could it be a message from the gods, she thought.

Aslaug coming to the same conclusion as the other two, **"We have all dreamed the same dream"** , she says as all three of them exchange glances.  
Helga's curiosity getting the better of her, wondering if the other women had also felt the same as she did. Looking to Siggy, **"Were you frightened?"** , Helga asked her.  
Thinking back to the dream, Siggy could feel no fear, shaking her head. **"No, I felt... excited"** , a small blush creeping onto her cheeks, **"I felt a sense of expectation-"**.  
 **"-And when I woke up, I was disappointed it was only a dream"** , Aslaug had finished for her.  
Siggy's thoughts were all over the place with endless possibilities and answers, _what could it mean,_ she thought frustratingly, but only ended up with more questions. Stuck in her thoughts for another moment, she gathered her wits and approached Aslaug with her thoughts.  
 **"You are a vulva"** , Siggy states; walking closer. **"You say you can see things, what does it mean?"** , she asks her desperately searching for the answers in her silent gaze.  
Aslaug was just as confused as the other two women, **"I have no idea"** , she tells them truthfully, "I do not know", she says looking sympathetic to the older woman.

**************************************************

**{*DREAM*}------**  
A slow-rolling fog spreads out, engulfing the mountains before it. A figure in the distance; closer and closer the figure approaches. Bright red blood trailing behind, smoke rising from the drops. The soft laughter of a child can be faintly heard as this lone wanderer extends his hands out.  
In his right, the stranger's hand was bleeding badly but, in his left hand, he held a small flaming ball of snow as a child's laughter grew louder.-

For Siggy, within the echos of the child's laughter were images of her daughter, standing before her smiling and reaching out for her as if to welcome her home, a place for her in Valhalla with all of her family. While Aslaug witnessed clashes of a great loss, feelings of betrayal with a strange sense of happiness and peace. Helga did not see anything within the laughter but more of a feeling to protect and care for that precious ball of snow on fire. Helga slowly reached out her hands to softly cup the firey snowball and when she made contact a beautiful overpowering wave of happiness coursed its way through her body till she could hold on no longer. 

  
Suddenly jolted from their sleep Helga, Aslaug, and Siggy sits up in their beds, exchanging glances with one another as they try to grasp the dream they each had, a different path that lay ahead for each of them.

************************************************

**The Arrival**

Helga was walking the streets of Kattegat, stopping here and there in the market with little to no interest when a cold fog drifted in. As she began to walk away something pulled her to a stop. In the distance, a dark cloaked figure approached with bursts of red waving back and forth, and what sounded like a soft child's laughter carried through the winds. Helga's heart was pounding in her chest, her hands fidgeting with her sleeves, walking closer to the figure, as if in a trance that can not yet be broken. He slowly begins to take a more detailed form, suddenly he leaps down and unknown giggles are heard again. Closer and closer Harbard approaches, squeezing the little girl closer to his side as he stands before Helga. When he stops, Harbard stretches out his right hand, poorly bandaged and bleeding. "I've injured my hand rather badly, as you can see". " I wonder.... can you help us?", he asked her with a soft smile.

 _us?_ she thinks, no sooner than that though, Harbard flipped open the left side of his cloak, and inside he cradled a little girl with fiery red hair and pale white skin. "If it is not too much trouble for you", he suddenly says. Helga breaks her gaze from the little girl, "y-yes, of course, come this way", gathering her thoughts and shaking a feeling of protectiveness for the small child, Helga turns to show the strangers to the great hall. So many thoughts running through her head, the feeling of Deja' Vu as if this is not the first time they have walked this path, but then again something also feels anew.

As if a great gift will be bestowed upon Kattegat and its people, strangely a bit of luck for herself even, she smiles to herself thinking.  
As they reached the building Helga opens the door for their new guests, Aslaug and Siggy sit in front of the fires, laughing and playing with the children.

When the closing of doors catches their attention and draws their gaze to the front doors of the great hall, Helga nervously walks further in with the wanderer in tow, "This stranger approached me in the marketplace", Aslaug and Siggy hurridly stand from their seats at her words and step a bit closer to the strangers, intrigued. "He's cut his hand badly, and has asked for our help", Helga says as Harbard nods to the women and starts lightly bouncing the little girl still cradled to his left side.

A wanderer with a bleeding hand and a small child with fiery red hair and pale white skin, Aslaug and Siggy were struck speechless at the sight before them and when Aslaug was able to tear her gaze away, "of course we will help", she stuttered out all flustered from these turn of events. Aslaug quickly turned to siggy, "Siggy, go and fetch some hot water and some food for the child," while ushering Ubbe and Sigurd to go back with the servants. "Helga, go and get some strips of cloth for a bandage", she continued as she walked up to the fires to take her seat.

"Will you sit by the fires", she asked him, raising her hand to offer the seat next to her, "I am sure your daughter is quite cold".

Harbard smiles, "Thank you, but she is not my daughter, more of a little spirit I came upon you might say," he chuckled the last part. Aslaug's interest piqued at the stranger's use of words for the little girl.

"You are kind", Harbard says as he takes a seat, placing the little girl on his lap, setting his injured hand on the table. "I found this little spirit on my travels", he says while rubbing the little girl's back gently, Hamingja's gaze lost to the fires in front of her.

"oh?" Aslaug says as she looks at the little girl, curiously taking her all in. Hamingja sensing her gaze looked up at Aslaug with a gentle smile, her gemstone eyes beautifully glistening from the fires. With a small gasp, Aslaug found herself caught in those eyes, flashes of Ragnar and their lovemaking from times past plays out before her, slowly the visions shift to the birth of each of her sons, and at last, lingering on an image of Ivarr sleeping peacefully. A few moments later Siggy comes back with a bowl of hot water and a plate full of fruits and bread, Aslaug breaks her gaze with the little girl, blinking a few times to clear her mind. Hamingja, as if knowing just continues to softly smile at the woman as Siggy sets the food in front of her.

"Beautiful little thing you are, I hope you enjoy it.", Siggy says tenderly, Hamingja smiles up to her sweetly, as she starts to dig into her fruits in front of her. Siggy chuckles at the little girl and turns to set the bowl of hot water next to Aslaug, looking at the stranger and smiling while taking her seat across from them. Trying to put the pieces together from their shared dream. Aslaug reaches out lightly grasping the stranger's hand, "How did you do this?", Aslaug questions as she begins to unwrap the old cloth from his wound. "I don't know", he says with a heavy sigh, "we were sleeping rough", playfully nudging the little girl on his lap. She giggled again but was too focused on her food to really pay any attention to him. Harbard laughed at the small child and looked back to Aslaug, "might have caught it on a scythe or a plowshare", he says as he gets lost in his thoughts, softly stroking Hamingja's hair. While continuing to wrap the wound Aslaug's fixed gaze; watches the stranger run his fingers through the fiery tresses of the little girl's hair, "what are your names", she manages to say, pulling her thoughts back in. "Um...my name is Harbard", then turns his gaze to the little girl on his lap, "and this is little Hamingja", he says proudly as he smiles at them.

Hearing her name, Hamingja turned to the women and gave them a big smile, cheeks stuffed with fruits and bread before finishing her bite. The three women laughed at her cuteness when Siggy suddenly caught her gaze and truly looked into her eyes. _Black star gemstones! is that even possible?_ Siggy thinks to herself.

Thoughts and memories of her husband and children come rushing to the front of her mind until Hamingja pulled her gaze away and a strange euphoric feeling started to slowly slip away from her. How strange, she thinks; shaking the feeling away.

"You said you two were sleeping rough, why is that?" Harbard is asked. Hesitating for a moment he lets his gaze slips to Hamingja then back to Siggy, "I am a wanderer, and sometimes people offer us hospitality and we sleep on a straw bed, and sometimes we... sleep rough with the cattle for warmth". "It is all one to me and Hamingja does not seem to mind", he adds laughing softly. That did not sit well with the three women when they thought of the little girl sleeping like that.

After finishing her plate of food, Hamingja looked at each woman carefully around them, studying the colors surrounding each of them. First, she looked at Aslaug, watching her hands move delicately about as she cared for Harbard's injury, colors of a soft violet with deep reds softly glowing around her, and a brown hue separating the two from each other. She got the feeling of love and passion, someone the gods chose to speak with if they so choose to, but a seed of loneliness and sadness has rooted itself inside her and it is causing the selfishness to grow. Sighing, Hamingja slightly turns to Siggy, her colors of Gray, pink and blue twisted together like vines, wrapping themselves around her as if she was constricted by chains, _she is trapped,_ Hamingja thinks to herself, _she wishes to be free_. Softly tilting her head in thought at how she might be able to help the woman as a small yawn escapes her lips.

Harbard chuckles at her when he catches the sleepy yawn. Gently nudging her shoulder, signaling her to turn towards him Hamingja faces Harbard as he gently pushes her forward to his broad chest, laying her head down. "I will sleep wherever I can lay my head", leaning back a bit Harbard starts softly rubbing the little girl's back. Laying on Harbard's chest, she lazily stares out at Helga as the slow soothing circles cause her to become more drowsy. "It is all one to me and little Hamingja does not seem to mind", he adds laughing softly. Beautiful colors of green, blue, and violet swirling around each other as if in an intricate dance with soft wisps of white surrounding her as if showering Helga and her elements with love and protection. Hamingja couldn't help but feel a great warmth of love radiating from this woman and it brought her a feeling she had longed for since she saw the other children in the previous villages, _mother_. The last thought Hamingja had before she slowly closed her eyes and succumbing to sleep. 

"Is that true?", Siggy asks questionably, as her eyes move between Hamingja and Harbard. ...."No", he laughs nervously . "No, I prefer the straw and I am sure she does too." Harbard looks between the three women as they nervously laugh along, "but do not think that I offer nothing in return, hmm?" he quickly interjects.

"I tell stories, stories about my own travels.....", he looks to Hamingja on his chest, fast asleep. "Stories about the gods", he looks up slowly gazing at each one of them. "or both", he laughs out. "As they say, I... I sing for our supper and Hamingja loves to hear them, she tries to learn them", he boasts. Aslaug was awestruck at the sight, the way he held this child, the love he seems to show for her made her wish for the same thing for Ivarr, for Ragnar to truly see him as his son and to love him beyond his aliment. Continuing to tend to Harbard her thoughts shifted to Ragnar and the images that flashed before her earlier when she looked into the child's eyes as if trying to remind her of what is important, but the loneliness caused by Ragnar combined with the frustration of not being able to help her youngest son, Ivarr, started to break her.

"Will you sup with us?", Aslaug suddenly blurts out at him. Flattered by the request and intrigued with her offer Harbard politely smiles at her. "If that is acceptable with everyone", he says, looking around the room for their approval, "and to King Ragnar, of course.", he adds with a mischievous smirk, turning to Aslaug.

"Ragnar is not here", Aslaug quickly states without thinking. "He and the other men have gone raiding", she continues.

Siggy, slightly worried that Aslaug was sharing information so easily and with a stranger no less. She looked to Helga for support but finds none except a loving motherly gaze at the little girl sleeping on Harbard's chest.

"But you are welcome to what food we have", Aslaug adds, drawing Siggy's attention back. "And to a bed of straw", softly smiling at Harbard flirtatiously, as she finished his bandage. He smiled back at her, "that would be nice, could I trouble you now for Hamingja", indicating to the sleeping child laying on his chest. "Of course", Aslaug says with a warm chuckle, "forgive me."

Helga, feeling a draw to the child since she saw her, quickly stood from her seat to offer her help, "I can take her if that is okay with you?" Harbard stared silently at Helga as if musing over her words. With a slow smile spreading across his face, Harbard nods his head, standing up to pass the child over to her. Reaching out, Helga gently lifts Hamingja from Harbard, turning her quickly to her own chest where Hamingja immediately wrapped her little arms around Helga's neck without waking and snuggled closer to her. The word mother; again softly enters Hamingja's sleeping mind as she feels herself floating while wrapped in a protective warmth. Smiling, Helga turns and heads towards the back past the netting to the shared bedrooms.

\-------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 7 HAS THE IMAGES OF HAMINGJA AS A CHILD AND AS AN ADULT, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER FUN THINGS THAT WILL GO ALONG WITH HER AND THE STORY LATER ON.


	4. Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter (in my opinion) this was actually part of the last chapter I just felt like it was running long so cut it out and I tried to expand on it. So enjoy :)

Helga gently laid Hamingja in the furs of her shared bed, the little girl immediately turned to her side and cuddled closer to Angrboda, who laid asleep next to her. Helga's heart swelled at the image in front of her, feeling a blessing of the gods. She leaned over and gently caressed both girl's heads before giving each a soft kiss to their cheeks. "May the gods watch over and protect you", she whispered softly and then left to return to the great hall.

As Hamingja slept, curdled close to a warm body, she dreamt of blue eyes like she had every night since she could remember. Sometimes they were shining brightly, the smell of fresh blood in the air, cries of Vikings in the distance, a victorious battle won. They've appeared with fierce anger burning within, defiant and proud. At rare times she would catch glimpses of regret and sadness dancing in the far back but most of the time they were so blue that even the whites of the eyes were blue and in those moments it was just pain, nothing but agonizing pain. When this happened, almost every time those overly intense blue eyes would stare back at her as if knowing she was there, a loud snap would echo around her, and then those beautiful eyes were lifeless and gone.

Hamingja's body started to ache terribly, her heart begun to pound wildly against her chest as a suffocating feeling slowly started to consume her very being, and darkness took over her. **"No, no please not again,"** the little spirit shrieked out into the void. **"Please do not leave me,"** shouting louder as tears started to pour down her face. **"Why do I feel so lost without you,"** she continued to weep out into the emptiness of the void. Falling to her knees Hamingja calls out to the gods in grief, **"please do not take** **this from me, please I do not want to be lost,"** she quietly sobs out, **"let me find them,..... please."** Losing all hope the little spirit curled into herself, crying softly into the darkness till a piercing light broke through and a loud cry erupted throughout the void, releasing Hamingja of her nightmare. With a start, she awoke to the sounds of real cries coming not far from her.

Hamingja's attention was immediately brought to a large dark wooden cradle across the room. Drawn, she quietly slipt from the furs and dropped down from the bed making her way towards the noise. Her heart started pounding loudly in her chest the closer she came, butterflies wildly danced in her stomach, licking her dry lips she slowly approached the cradle. It was like a fierce strike of lighting to her heart, her legs became weak, her breathing became erratic as she froze at that moment, black gemstone eyes met a pair of bright blue eyes. The same blue eyes she has carried with her, deep in her heart, and in those mere seconds, everything she had forgotten came crashing back. 

Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Sigurd also awoken from Ivarr's cries watched the beautiful little red-haired girl curiously staring at their baby brother when Aslaug and Harbard briskly walked through the nettings, entering the shared room. Without giving the little girl a second glance, Aslaug hurridly knelt in front of the cradle quickly trying to soothe Ivarr and his pains.

Harbard slowly approached behind them, not missing the little spirit standing next to the crying child, she was so fixated on him that Harbard believed Hamingja did not even notice when they entered the room. Knowing what this meant for her, Harbard walked over picking Hamingja up, and kneeled down next to them. Hamingja tore her gaze from the crying Ivarr and looked to Harbard, eyes shining with love and understanding. Smiling, Harbard nods to her, a silent understanding between them. 

**"Queen Aslaug....."** , he says turning his gaze upon her, "would you allow Hamingja to help Ivarr?"

Speechless and slightly taken back by his request, Aslaug looked Hamingja over, curiously wondering how she could even help Ivarr, but with a heavy sigh, Aslaug nods and slowly backs away a bit.

Hamingja looked to Ivarr and reached her little hand out to gently stroke his hair. **"Listen to me, Ivarr."** Harbard started saying, as Hamingja continued to gently stroke his hair, **"all the pain is going away, Ivarr."**

Ivarr, still crying from the pain in his legs; looked over to a pair of beautiful sparkling black eyes, and slowly the pain he felt, started to recede little by little and his tears lessened. **"All the pain is going away, she is taking your pain"** , Harbard continued softly talking to a still fussing Ivarr. **"Hush, good boy, there is no more pain."**

**"There is no more pain, it's all going away"** , with each passing word Harbard spoke, Hamingja continued to help ease Ivarr's suffering, softly stroking his hair and taking some of the pain into herself. **"Now you're getting very sleepy, Ivarr............, go to sleep."** Harbard started saying softer.

**"That's a good boy......., good boy"** , Harbard whispered, Hamingja slowly leaned over the cradle and kissed Ivarr's cheek before he peacefully succumbed to sleep.

Siggy and Helga watched in bewilderment from an opening of the nettings; _what had they just witnessed and who are these two strangers!_ they thought to themselves and exchanged glances. Aslaug was shocked and continued looking back and forth between Hamingja and the now peacefully sleeping Ivarr.

**"How did you both do that?"** Aslaug asked, breaking the silence.

Harbard looked between Ivarr and Hamingja with a growing smile, and then up to Aslaug.

**" You could search to the furthest reaches of Yggdrasil and the nine worlds and never find anything more beautiful than the love of a Hamingja"** , he said smiling cryptically, turning to kiss Hamingja's chubby cheeks as she let out a tired yawn.

**"Time for a little spirit to go back to sleep, yes?"** He says to the little girl as he stands and walks back to the bed of furs softly tucking her in. Hamingja yawns once more, nodding her head as waves of drowsiness took over her, the feeling of furs wrapped warmly around her sending her off into a peaceful sleep, and for the first time, she was whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, another (small) chapter down! Hope y'all enjoyed it. If not oh well can't like them all lol :)


	5. Seek a Seer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just small tweaking/adding to the chapter (03/05/21)

Siggy paced back and forth in her hut, her mind was restlessly wondering. Nervously biting at her nails her thoughts were anxiously filled with worries and doubts. After the bodies of two children were brought to their shores this morning and the events that took place with Ivarr, Siggy couldn't help but think this was all connected in some way. Those recurring shared dreams they all experienced, the visions she saw when looking into those little girl's eyes, and the feeling she was met with. _Strange,_ she thought, _is it all connected? I mean two bodies, both children from the village, and these two "strangers"_ _just happened to have shown up right before?_ Siggy continues her frantic pacing as more and more questions continue to flood her mind.

After what felt like endless hours passing by, Siggy came to a sudden halt as a small burst of pain shot through her thumb. She had broken the skin around her nail. A small trickle of blood slowly slipped down the side of her thumb, lightly trailing down to her palm, suddenly the thought struck her. "The seer," she whispered out to no one. Gathering herself together, organizing her thoughts and questions she left to seek out the seer.

Quickly navigating the streets of Kattegat till she came upon the seer's hut, Siggy paused before entering, then steeled her nerves, lifted the flap, and walked in. The seer sat in front of the fires, not far from the entrance, the sounds of bones rattling around them as Siggy slowly approached, taking a seat across from him.

The man, if you could even call him that, sat there looking out in the direction of the fires. With his heavily scarred face and ominous presence, cloaked in darkness as he quietly waited. 

**"Two strangers have come to Kattegat, his name is Harbard"** , Siggy pauses licking her dry lips, thinking back to the little girl, when she gazed into her black gemstone eyes, **"and the child's name is Hamingja,"** she states confusion written across her features.

The seer says nothing.

**"it is possible that he is... a magician, or she a..."** , struggling with her words.

 **"They have powers of some kind,"** she rushes out saying.  
This caught the seer's attention, **"Why do you think that?"** , he asks.

Hesitant to say at first, **"before they arrived, I dreamt of them"** , she pauses for a moment.  
**"and so did two other women, all of us the same dream."**

Fierce howling in the distance distracts the seer momentarily as if the gods were speaking out.

**"Queen Aslaug cannot comfort her son Ivarr when he is suffering, but this man....., this child they took away Ivarr's pain and the boy goes back to sleep."**

**"Not only that oh wise seer, but this child she is nothing like I have ever seen before. Her hair is like fire, her eyes are complete blackness wise seer, and when I looked into them....,"** Siggy started to get pulled deep into her thoughts. Recalling the feeling she felt and visions of her daughter, calling out to her.

 **"What I felt was an enormous amount of happiness,"** she said, closely watching the seers' reaction to what she is telling him.

 **"The man, Harbard he even calls the child little spirit."** Siggy frustratedly breathes out as she continues to go on.

**"Could it not be possible that she is...., a hamingja, a true hamingja that has taken human form?"**

The seer thinks deeply about what she has said, **"If they possess these powers then they are putting them to good use,"** he ends up telling her.

The answer does not satisfy Siggy at all, **"are you sure?"** she pauses. **"Two young boys died today, a fisherman caught them in his nets-."**

 **"-Yes, I know"** , he answers, cutting her off.  
Siggy is taken back for a moment but refusing to back down.

 **"Might they be connected to the deaths of these boys?"** , she asks the seer outright. 

**"Why would they be?"** , he inquires back.

 **"I don't know"** , she says momentarily lost for words, **"but you would know"** , looking back to the seer with hope in her eyes. The seer says nothing but heavily sighs in annoyance at her ignorance.

 **"what have the gods told you?"** , Siggy suddenly asks, **"what have you foreseen?"** , she tries pushing harder.

With final reluctance the Seer speaks, **"The gods have vouchsafed me nothing, told me nothing, nor promised me anything,"** the seer takes in a shaky breath, **"and I have foreseen nothing,"** he finishes, shaking his head, dissatisfied with these questions as if dealing with an ignorant babe.

 **"But we have foreseen something"** , Siggy starts with a fluster. **"We women, we dreamt that you were..."** , she looked straight at the seer, **"you were tied up, that you were bleeding and you could neither move nor cry out."** She said in a shaky voice, **"that is what we saw."** Slipping back into the dream Siggy starts rambling on in a trance-like state, **"nobody could help us."**

 **"It is not true"** , the seer says, as he suddenly pulls her gaze away from the fires', **"What was, has been once more beneath the stars- beneath the depths of twisted woe- death stopped- sisters of immortality bend back the stars-** **a** **live but without breath, as cold the path as in this death, the same it still remains."**

Slowly he stretches out his hand, **"take it as is,"** waiting for his payment.  
Siggy, frightened by the seers' words, grabs his hand, quickly licking his palm, **"wise seer"** , Siggy says as she stands, slightly bowing before gathering herself and leaving the hut quickly.

**\-------------------------------------**

Harbard and Hamingja strolled through the woods near Kattegat, giggling as she ran ahead of him, playing freely with a group of small white arctic foxes from the area. Harbard laughed as his heart swelled with happiness for the child in front of him. **"You, my dear little spirit still seem to have a way with animals I see."** He said as he walked closer to her and her new forest friends. 

**"They like me and I like them,"** she shrugs with a small smile as she softly strokes one of the foxes' furry coats. 

Nodding his head in agreement, **"They feel you, Hamingja."** Kneeling down to her, **"your heart is very special,"** he says, pointing to her chest. **"I could only give you a physical form little spirit, but within your heart still beats a hamingja and with that, you will encounter many dangers ahead of you."** Hamingja carefully listened to Harbard as he continued to explain, **"be careful what you reveal to others, but listen to your gifts as well, those will be your greatest of weapons."**

**"I believe I told you once before, you are a coward,"** he gently laughed at her, Hamingja frowns, unamused by his statement. **"But it does not matter what you call someone, whether you become Viking or not Viking is not important,"** he brushes aside. **"Besides, you should remember that Ivarr will be more than Viking for the both of you,"** he laughed out loud, shaking his head in amusement. Knowing that if the boy did come to have feelings for the little spirit that his possessiveness and wraith could be even greater than before, but only time will tell. 

**"You said once before that I had woven my fate to Ivarr's, yes?"** She looked up at him quizzically. **"What did you mean by that?"** Harabard took a moment to think about how best he could explain. **"You see little spirit when you witnessed Ivarr's death you involuntarily broke that bond between a hamingja and its descendants they're bound to."** Hamingja sat there letting his words slowly sink in, **"in breaking that bond Hamingja, you somehow weaved a sort of crystal-like thread that's unbreakable between Ivarr's fate and yours, that not even the Norns can remove or change."** Confusion etched across her features as she tried to think back to that moment before she entered the void, but nothing came to her.

 **"Imagine how they feel now,"** he laughed to himself, unaware at the time of the little spirit's growing confusion, **"a hamingja in human form changing the fates of others."** At hearing those words Hamingja perked up a bit more in alarm. **"What do you mean, change their fates?"** she hesitantly asked, stopping him in his laughter. With a slight scowl on his face, Harbard gave her his full attention when he answered. **"You did not think the Norns would just willing share their ability of the fates with you, did you?"**

Hamingja slowly shook her head no, still trying to understand his words, Harbard finally sensing the confusion. **"Little spirit, you gave the Norns pause and in doing so they turned back the hands of time hoping to fix what went wrong, and not even the gods can change their own fates. So in that time, I took that chance and had you, my little spirit, born into the world of men,"** Harbard waved his hands around them, indicating to their surroundings. **"Now as I told you before, I have my own reasons for doing this, but I also wished to give you a gift, a gift for you to have that happiness you so wished for,"** he finished telling her.

Hamingja stood up from her place, brushing the snow from herself nodding her head in final understanding. **"Thank you, I will honor my gifts and that which you have given me."** Harbard smiled at her, nodding, **"just remember man must choose their own path, you can only show them their choices,"** he says to her in seriousness. 

After a few moments, a thought crossed her mind. **"Do you plan to test them, again?"** She looked at him in earnest, **"the women, I mean."**

With a heavy sigh, Harbard gazed at her, thinking on his next words carefully. Standing up he reached his hand out to Hamingja in open invitation, grabbing it in welcomeness, **"a little bit of both, you do not think I would just leave you with just anyone do you?"** he said with a shrug as they started walking again. **"You cause that woman Siggy, great worry you know,"** she softly says to him, playfully swinging their joined hands back and forth. **"Ah yes,"** he says in seriousness. **"I believe she will follow the same path as before,"** slowly coming to a pause he looked down to Hamingja, **"I know you've seen the great pain she carries,"** he said with a small hint of sorrow in his voice.

Hamingja's features suddenly turned sullen, her heart ached for Siggy; thinking back to the colors that surrounded and chained the brown-haired woman down, she nodded slowly at Harbard in agreement. **"I will trust you on this then,"** she said to him, **"but-**

Before Hamingja could finish her words a crippling pain shot through her legs causing the little girl to double over and cry out. **"Hamingja,"** Harbard called out alarmed, quickly picking up the little girl and assessing her over. Hamingja cried out again trying desperately to cling onto Harbard for comfort. Squeezing her eyes shut, **"I got you little spirit,"** Harbard started to say as he rubbed soothing circles into her back. Trying to regain her breath, Hamingja slowly breathes in and out, **"Ivarr,"** she manages to whimper out, **"It's Ivarr."**

In understanding, Harbard quickly turned back to Kattegat, Hamingja still in his arms. **"Do not worry little spirit, it will not last long,"** he told her as her pains slowly receded the closer they approach the gates of Kattegat.

\----------------------------

Sounds of Ivarr's crying can be heard from the shared rooms as Siggy walks in. **"Ivarr, what is it?"** Aslaug says out loud in great distress, unable to soothe her son, Siggy walks into the room, and a sprout of hope blossoms in her chest.

 **"where are Harbard and Hamingja?"** , Aslaug asks Siggy as she tasks her seat.

 **"I don't know"** , Siggy shrugs in annoyance.

 **"You have to find them"** , she desperately demands. **"Ivarr is suffering so badly, I cannot bear it,"** her voice cracks a little as she tries to hold back the tears.  
Siggy, irritated at Aslaug's behavior, snaps back. **"Why can't you look after your own children?"**

The doors suddenly open to Harbard and Hamingja entering, instantly stopping once they enter inside.

Knowing the distress Ivarr is in, Hamingja wiggles in Harbard's arms to get free, setting her down, **"we are here,"** he says as if knowing the conversation that just took place. Aslaug smiles at them both as Hamingja, approaches Ivarr's bed, harbard following close behind as he removes his hood.

Hamingja leans over Ivarr's cradle a bit and starts stroking his hair softly as she gazes into his blue eyes. **"I missed you Ivarr,"** she softly says, smiling down sweetly at the crying boy.

 **"Ivarr"** , Harbard starts, grabbing his attention away from the girl for a moment. He gets down on his knees next to Hamingja, hovering over the cradle.

 **"There is no pain, Ivarr."**  
**"-No. no more pain"** , a sweet little voice interjected.

Siggy and Aslaug had turned to the little girl in a brief moment of shock, Harbard just smiled at the little girl and encouraged her on. **"That's right, you are very sleepy Ivarr"** , she continued saying, smiling at him.

Ivarr, not taking his eyes from her, slowly started to fall asleep once again as Harbard interjected, **"you're getting very sleepy."**

 **"There is no more pain, go to sleep"** , Hamingja finished as she leaned over and kissed Ivarr's cheek, for the second time. Aslaug and Harbard smiled at the little girl's gesture and shared a brief glance in utter awe at the scene before them. Hamingja tries to stifle the sudden yawn, but it escaped her nonetheless as exhaustion overtook her small body.

Harbard chuckled, **"seems the little spirit needs some rest now"** , Helga immediately came to his aid, she saw the little girl as her own child and couldn't help herself when she found a way for her to play the mother role.  
Harbard agreed and picked her up, handing her over to Helga. Hamingja wrapped her arms around Helga's neck and snuggled closer to her as she was taken to sleep.

  
Harbard watched as Helga laid Hamingja down in the furs, smiling to himself he turned to leave when Siggy shot from her seat, walking quickly to catch up. **"Who are you?"** , she hurriedly asks, **"Who is that child?"**  
At her imposing questions, Harbard slows his pace, turning to Siggy, **"you know who I am"** , he says with a smile and a mischievous glint in his eye, **"and the child I found on my journey, as I've said before."**  
Harbard starts to turn to leave again when he is suddenly stopped again.

 **"you have such power; you and the child"** , Siggy frantically states as she reached out for his arm. Turning back slowly to Siggy once more, **"are you a god?"** she asks him frantically, **"is the child?"**

He just starts at her for a moment, **"I wish"** , suddenly moving closer to her, Harbard's gaze shifts to the bed with Hamingja now peacefully sleeping.

He looks back to Siggy, **"For who would not wish for such a thing?"** Holding her gaze he suddenly casts his eyes down and chuckled to himself as he walks off.  
Siggy just stands there in shock watching Harbard walk away with the knowledge that these two could be gods, if not something very close to it and it scared her.


	6. A Path of Old and New

Siggy roughly folds the clothes, trapped in her thoughts and frustrations from the events from the last few days when suddenly hushed whispers start to reach her ears breaking her concentration. Following the hushed noises, Ubbe and Hvitserk are whispering to each other back and forth while trying to spy on the sleeping little girl. 

**"What are you two doing,"** she asks as she lays the clothing down, slowly approaching the boys. 

Hvitserk quickly looked away in embarrassment at being caught while a slight blush dusted Ubbe's face, but both remained silent. 

**"W** **hat are you whispering about?"** siggy asked again, raising an eyebrow in question at the two. **"And why are you staring at Hamingja?"** she slowly smirks.

The boys caught in their actions exchanged quick glances at each other as if conversing silently between them, a hint of pink now dusted both the boys' faces while Siggy neared them and ushered the two back to the table by the fires'.

 **"Well....?"** , she asked them again, pulling a chair for herself.

Ubbe looked to Siggy for a moment before looking back over to Hamingja, briefly. **"Where is our mother?"** he finally asks her **.**

Siggy is momentarily taken back by Ubbe's question and with a heavy heart and a deep sigh, she tries to collect her thoughts on the subject as best as she could. She goes to open her mouth but, the words immediately die on her tongue. Turning to look at Hvitserk then back to Ubbe once more, **"your mother goes to Harbard....",** casting her eyes down in shame, **"because of your brother Ivarr."**

Not wanting the boys to understand the true nature of their mother's visits with Harbard, she quickly tries to explain it as if it is all for Ivarr's sake.

 **"Ivarr needs your mother more than you do",** she says reaching out to softly clasps his hands in her's. Siggy softens her features hoping to ease his thoughts. 

**"And Harbard helps her to look after him",** she tells him tenderly.

Ubbe slowly took in her words, dissecting each word carefully in thought before he spoke his next words.

 **"But she helps Ivarr too",** Ubbe turns and points to the sleeping redhead.

Silently thinking and slowly nodding in agreement, Siggy chooses her next words carefully, **"yes..., yes she does, but it seems to take a toll on her."**

Siggy briefly glances at the little girl, then back to Ubbe, returning to hurt-filled eyes, she cups his cheeks, **"Someday, Ubbe, you will understand what a mother has to sacrifice for her children",** she says softly with deep sorrow in her eyes.

Ivarr's cries break through the trio's conversation drawing Siggy's attention elsewhere. Standing She quickly goes to him as Ubbe and Hvitserk decide to take matters into their own hands. After all, they were the sons of Ragnar, and with that, in their minds, they headed out into Kattegat in search of their mother.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flashes of falling snow, the rush of the cold wind; a streak of blue, long brown-hair whipping by, a pounding heart in fear.

Hamingja's eyes continue to rapidly flicker back and forth behind her sleeping lids as the dream pulls her in deeper.

Heavy breaths, a path to find, Hamingja can feel the determination as if it was her own. She has never dreamt like this before, but it feels as if she is there.

The figure continues through the snowy woods and down a steep rocky path. More figures in the far distance hazily appear side by side, suddenly shifting the dream taking a dark turn. Hamingja starts tossing and turning beneath the furs in discomfort, ice-cold chills ran down her spine spreading through her whole body in freezing pain. The sound of cracking ice surrounding her and then frozen darkness engulfed her.

Whimpering out even louder, Hamingja's lungs felt like they were being gripped by the icy hand of death, she felt like she couldn't breathe no matter how hard she tried. In the next room, Helga was watching the children happily play when she heard the little girl's soft cries from the shared rooms. 

Peeking through the nettings Helga could see Hamingja in distress, rushing over to the bed Helga noted the sweat that had collected on the little girl's brow as her soft features twisted in discomfort. Tearing at Helga's heart her maternal instincts kicked in, she gently laid Ivarr down next to Hamingja, quickly leaving to retrieve a cold cloth for the girl.

Sensing the warmth of a comforting presence next to her, Hamingja slowly settled down. Ivarr laid there, quietly taking in the girl laying next to him, and the more he watched her in discomfort a strange pain started to slowly root itself inside his chest.

When Helga returned she quickly sat on the bed next to Hamingja, lightly dabbing at her sweaty brow. 

**"Everything is alright, Hamingja,"** she softly coos at the child.

 **"I am right here and Ivarr is here as well",** she softly spoke as she continued trying to soothe her, dabbing her with a cool cloth.

Hamingja's features start to slowly relax as her whimpers begin to quiet down and a peaceful calmness washed over her. Helga softly smiled down at the child, a small movement from the corner of her eye tore her attention away. _A hand!_ she thinks, scrunching her brows together as she was caught off guard by the sight for a moment. Ivarr had reached out, grabbed onto Hamingja's hair at some point, and was now rubbing the fiery strands between his fingers as if trying to soothe her the same way she did to him.

 **"Perhaps the gods have brought you two together",** Helga softly chuckles to herself as she stares lovingly at the two.

**< A FEW DAYS LATER>**

Aslaug sat in front of the fires', deep in her thoughts, gently rocks Ivarr. Helga sat off to the side watching the other children play together in their pen. Caught deep in her thoughts at the recent death of Siggy when the door to the great hall opened abruptly pulling her and Aslaug's attentions elsewhere. The sting of the cold breeze wafted through the building harshly at Harbard's entry. Aslaug briefly shut her eyes at the icy greeting she was hit with, sudden waves of guilt rolled through her heart again and again as she was reminded once more of Siggy and her tragic death.

Harabard removes his soaked hood, **"Why so quiet?",** he asks looking around the room. **"Nothing to talk about?",** he says in jest as he approaches closer towards the fires'.

Immediately getting up from her seat to stand her guard, Aslaug could not help but back a few feet away from him in defense as he slowly approached her direction, putting both women on edge.

 **"Not with you, perhaps",** Helga states with a look of contempt for him, worry heavy in her gaze as it flickers back and forth between Aslaug and Harbard.

Taking in her words, Harbard slowly nods in understanding.

 **"So you are tired of me already?"** , looking between the two women. Harbard just smiles as he gets no reply, turning his gaze to Hamingja, watching in mirth at the little girl playing with Angrboda, seemingly lost in their own little world. Chuckling to himself, Ubbe and Hvitserk notice his gaze and a strange sense of protection washed over the two. They both walked away from their mother's side and stood in front of the little girl, quietly trying to shield her from Harbard's sight.

Surprised at their actions, Harbard laughed with great mirth, **"so I see",** he says. **"Not to worry, It is time for me to be on my way."** Harbard stands there for another moment gathering his thoughts. **"I am never anywhere too long",** shrugging his shoulder, **"too restless",** he chuckles out nervously as though he was at a loss for words, but in truth, he wasn't quite ready to leave the little spirit, for he had come to deeply love her as a true daughter, but In his heart, he knew it was time.

Turning back to Aslaug, Harbard starts walking closer to her while she tries to take a few more steps back from him. Noticing her discomfort he stopped in his tracks and kept his distance.

 **"The boy is well, in future, I doubt he will suffer such pains as before,"** he indicated to Ivarr.

Aslaug was filled with relief at hearing his words, a tremendous weight felt like it had lifted from her shoulders and she could find some peace that Ivarr will be at ease just a little more.

 **"Hamingja has taken some of his pain upon herself",** he indicated to the little girl, both women glancing at the child in wonderment.

**"And your friend Siggy, you do not need to worry, for she is also very happy."**

Bringing their attention back, both women feeling uneasy again as he continued. 

**"She is with her husband, sons, and daughter in Valhalla",** Harbard presses on. **"If you don't believe me, you could ask the seer....., or Hamingja",** saying the last part with a mischievous smirk. **"Farewell, then",** he bids as he turns to leave.

Helga and Aslaug share a silent exchange before Helga abruptly stands from her seat. Quickly going over to pick up Hamingja, she turns to the door he had just departed from and chased after him.

As soon as Helga made it outside the doors of the great hall she hurriedly called out to Harbard. **"Wait,"** Harbard slowed his pace, sensing the little spirit's sudden presence. He turned around and smiled. Helga stood there in confusion for a moment. **"The child,"** she indicated to the little girl in her arms.

Harbard walked a few steps towards her with a soft smile, **"I believe she will be better off here,"** he gently started to say as he reached out to softly rub Hamingja's round cheek. When their eyes met briefly Hamingja knew it was time for him to leave. 

**"Besides she wishes for a mother and now she has one."** He says cryptically, looking at Helga with a smile. Harbard quickly turned his gaze to Hamingja, softly smiling and nodding in his silent goodbye to her.

 **"Remember Hamingja,** **love, and nurture all that is around you."** With his last words spoken Harbard walks into the fog of Kattegat, disappearing from their sight.

Helga, stood in shock, unsure of what she heard and saw from their mysterious stranger, with Hamingja still in her arms she looked at the little girl with excitement and a small tinge of doubt, but she quickly brushed it off as she happily walked back into the great hall.

Helga placed Hamingja down next to Angrboda, squatting in front of the two little girls she lightly grasps their hands in hers. 

**"Angrboda,"** she says softly, gently squeezing her hand. **"This is Hamingja, she will be your sister now,"** Helga says sweetly.

Turning to Hamingja, she does the same again. **"Hamingja, this is my daughter Angrboda,"** Helga pauses for a moment to gauge her understanding. **"I would like to be your mother, would you like that?"** She asks with hope and anticipation in her eyes as she waits for the little girl to show any form of understanding. A large smile slowly starts to overtake Hamingja's face as Helga's words sank in. 

_Mother? Sister?_ she slowly thinks as her eyes shift between Helga and Angrboda, a feeling of warmth blossomed in her small chest at the words repeating in her head.

In sheer excitement, she ripped her hand from Helga's, immediately wrapping her small arms around Angrboda and Helga as best as she could in sudden joy, a new feeling she as never experienced surged through her, and only one word she could think of to describe it at that moment, _family._

With tiny arms wrapped around her, Helga felt like everything was going to change; for everyone. She gently wrapped her arms around both girls, closing her eyes in utter happiness, a silent prayer to the gods, thanking them for this great blessing.

\-----------------------------------------------------

The boats of Ragnar's raiding party can be seen in the distance steadily approaching the shores of Kattegat. Everybody in town was awaiting in excitement at their return, hoping for a promising and successful raid. As Ragnar and the others finally docked from their boats there hung a strange heaviness in the air, looking around the docks Raganr spots his beautiful wife, Aslaug not far, but again he is hit with a strange heaviness. 

**"Where are my sons?"** Ragnar questions his wife the closer he approached her.

Looking at Ragnar in hesitation, Aslaug slowly opens her mouth to speak.

 **"I have something to tell you,"** she says slowly, losing herself in her thoughts as Rollo's voice grows louder in the distance as he continues to call out for Siggy.

Growing frustrated and impatient by the minute, Ragnar roughly grabbed Aslaug by her forearm, jerking her back to attention, **"I said, where are my sons?"**

Staring into Ragnar's accusing eyes, Aslaug is hit with pains of guilt again as he stands there waiting for her to answer him. Having trouble containing her feelings of what she had done, Aslaug steeled her nerves determined to put all this behind her.

Squaring her shoulders with a small amount of confidence she ignored Ragnar for the third time, turning away from him, Aslaug calls out to Rollo in a hurry, a chance to escape her husband's accusations.

 **"Rollo, Rollo..."** she shouts, grabbing his attention.

 **"Siggy is dead,"** she lets those dreaded words fall from her lips.

Rollo stood there frozen in place, **"How?"** he looked to Aslaug, another gut-wrenching wave of guilt hitting her in the stomach from his question. Nervously unsure of how to answer Aslaug stuttered out, **"Ubbe and Hvitserk fell through the ice into a frozen lake."** Closing her eyes not wanting to see the accusing stares, **"Siggy saved their lives, but she drowned and we... we could not find the body,"** she finished, finally opening her eyes to look back to Ragnar and then to Rollo in regretful sorrow.

Rage and confusion battle within Rollo at the news of his now-dead lover. **"The gods are mistaken,"** he angrily shouts at them, refusing to believe Aslaug's words. Floki, offended at Rollo's words is quick to respond. **"No, the gods are never mistaken, "** with a look of defiance on his face as he approached Rollo closer, waiting for him to refute his words.

Aslaug feeling the heavy tension in the air quickly steps in between the pair. Laying a gentle hand on Floki's arm, Aslaug turned to Rollo first, **"I am sorry Rollo but, Floki is right,"** she says with a heavy heart. At Aslaug's words, Rollo storms off into the streets of Kattegat, Ragnar following in close pursuit.

 **"I suspect that there is more to this** **story, my dear Queen,"** Floki says quietly with a mischievous grin as the brother disappeared into the crowd. **"But that is of no importance for me,"** he slowly turns to Aslaug in excitement, **"so where might my lovely Helga be,"** he suddenly inquires, glancing here and there through the throngs of people around them.

With a soft smile, Aslaug thinks of Hamingja and how close they have all become with the little girl these last few weeks. **"She is in the great hall waiting for you, and I believe she has a gift for** **you, but you did not hear that from me,"** she playfully tells him, nudging his shoulder.

 **"A gift?"** , he says out loud in surprise. **"How interesting,"** he says to her, bringing a hand up to his goatee, twirling the hairs back and forth between his fingers in thought as his body begins to buzz with excitement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say is what a crazy week! Mother Nature...... anyways as you can probably tell I am going by the series, but later on I will end up breaking from that.  
> Feel free to let me know if it feels too rushed and I will go back and rework it maybe try and add more to it..... idk I'm fickled lol. Oh well, Enjoy sugar booger :)


	7. ~HAMINGJA~ DESCRIPTION/IMAGE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I managed to figure out how to put pictures up here to give you an idea of how I see my character.  
> The little girl is Hamingja as a child, she is 3 years old, but mentally she is hundreds of years old, but this is her first time being "alive" as a living person and not a spirit. So she can still be pretty naive to things like children are. Ivarr should be around 4/5 years old in the chapters where they are children, so that makes them about a year or two apart(somewhere in there). The wolves will appear a bit later in the story but if you can guess which ones they are (in mythology) then brownie points to you! lol. The rune stones are what she will use when she is older as well. The Wings tattoo is actually her birthmark, it will gradually become darker/noticeable to others the older she gets. She has black star sapphire eyes, so basically, no visible pupil, no color other than black, and the star shine on it and the natural whites of the eyes too. lol - The flower is called Liverworts (actually has several aka blåveis) she also likes to wear flowers and other trinkets in her hair especially bells, but that will be later as well. 
> 
> -Hopefully, this helps a bit or was a least a bit entertaining lol - now that I know how to add images I will add more images later for the characters that might not meet their untimely deaths......but that's still hush hush lol   
> and of course, you are always more than welcome to imagine your own character in here other than mine.  
> Any more questions feel free to ask :)


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